Bollywood actresses Kajol Devgan, her husband Ajay Devgan, an action hero of more than 80 Bollywood films, and businesswoman Nita Ambani joined Prince Charles and Camilla at a reception for the British Asian Trust.

They are hoping to persuade wealthy Indian tycoons to support charities aimed at reviving India's ailing cities.

The Prince's British Asian Trust, which was formed to channel some if the Indian subcontinent's new super rich to give more back to their societies, is trying to gather support from the country's growing number of millionaires for its projects.

The event was hosted by Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance and the world's wealthiest Indian and Ratan Tata, whose family-trust company owns Jaguar Land Rover and Corus steel.

Trust chairman Manoj Badale, said the trust is launching a new Indian advisory group to promote new schemes to improve India's "environmental protection and skills development".

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Earlier the Duchess of Cornwall was given a lesson in traditional Indian dancing during a visit to the Asha Sadan children's home in Mumbai.

The Duchess of Cornwall tries to copy poses used in traditional dance during a visit to the Asha Sadan children's home in Mumbai (AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

It is the Royal couple's third official visit to India together and their most extensive yet - spending a total of nine days in the country.

In the Oberoi Hotel’s crystal chandeliered ballroom, Prince Charles charmed his audience by introducing the Duchess of Cornwall as his ’ mehbooba’ - his ’love’ - and revealing he shares his birthday with Pandit Nehru, the first prime minister of independent India.

His ’mehbooba’, surrounded by some of India’s most glamorous ’bibis’ - wives - in dazzling sequinned saris and diamond necklaces, looked striking in mint Kurta pyjamas by the British designer, Anna Valentine.

India, the Prince said, had been part of his life and a fascination for him since childhood. Sandringham was full of Indian antiques and artefacts - in fact there were enough, he joked, to “start a small war.”

He reminded his audience of his uncle, Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy of India, who presided over its independence. India and Britain had contributed to each other - Britain had given cricket and Geoff Boycott to India, which had replied with Sachin Tendulkar, he joked.

He suggested India and Britain could also benefit one another in charity work, whe he highlighted the work of the Asha Sadan refuge for children he had visited earlier in the day, and the BT-sponsored Katha School in Govindpuri, Delhi’s largest slum. Here women are taught skills to earn higher salaries and their children now acheive some of the highest exam scores in the indian education system.

The inspirational founders of these projects could all use the help of the wealthy captains of industry and finance in the room, he said.

“I hope we’ll be able to engage others of you here because we can achieve so much more that is effective and powerful together than operating alone,” he said. “Maybe we might just think about the added value of working together in meeting the great challenges you face here."